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http://hdl.handle.net/10174/1137
2024-03-28T21:48:41ZHow maternal exposure to aflatoxin B1 impacts the development of progeny intestinal immune system
http://hdl.handle.net/10174/30546
Title: How maternal exposure to aflatoxin B1 impacts the development of progeny intestinal immune system
Authors: Bastos_Amador, Patrícia; Duarte, Elsa Leclerc; Alvito, Paula; Assunção, Ricardo; Ferreira, Manuela
Abstract: Exposure to toxic contaminants during early-life is associated with
the development of diseases. Individuals are exposed to mycotoxins
since early stages of life[1]. However how maternal exposure to mycotoxins influences the development and function of the offspring’s
immune system remains largely unexplored. Recently, we showed
that in utero maternal exposure to micronutrients is critical for the
development of the immune system, which sets long term immunity
if the progeny[2]. Here we show that presence of aflatoxin B1 in the
diet of pregnant murine females affects the development and function of the intestinal immune system. Notably, maternal exposure to
AFB1 promoted an increase of overall T cell population, while it also
resulted in a selective reduction of cytokine-producing innate lymphoid cells group 2 (ILC2) population in intestine of the progeny.
These alterations were associated with decreased expression of
Reg3b, Reg3g and Fut2 by the intestinal mucosa of progeny. Thus,
these results indicate that maternal exposure to mycotoxins impacts
the development of offspring intestinal immune system. ILC2 are
critical in intestinal epithelial repair, whether mice exposed to AFB1 display defective tissue damage response needs to be investigated.
Also FUT2-dependent fucosylation is key in host–commensal symbiosis suggesting alterations in the intestinal microbiota. Our work reveals that maternal exposure to dietary contaminants such as mycotoxins alters the normal development of intestinal immune system framework of the progeny and may have impact in their immune
function.2021-01-01T00:00:00ZStereological Estimation of Mean Nuclear Volume as a Prognostic Factor in Canine Mast Cell Tumors
http://hdl.handle.net/10174/29246
Title: Stereological Estimation of Mean Nuclear Volume as a Prognostic Factor in Canine Mast Cell Tumors
Authors: Casanova, M; Branco, S; Veiga, I; Faísca, P
Editors: Kennedy, S
Abstract: Cutaneous mast cell tumour (MCT) Patnaik and Kiupel grading schemes rely on qualitative and semiquantitative features susceptible to interobserver variability. Stereological estimation
of volume-weighted mean nuclear volume (MNV) provides information about both size and variability of nuclear size, which has been proven to have a prognostic value in other solid tumours. The objective was to compare MNV with MCT grade and biological
behaviour.
Fifty-six MCTs were graded according to Patnaik and Kiupel by consensus of three experienced pathologists.Clinical history of dogs treated with surgical excision alone was collected with a minimum follow-up period of 1 year (n=31).MNV was estimated using the point-intercept method on vertical sections in 10 microscopical fields, with an approximately constant distance proportional to overall sectional area. Animals were divided according to outcome: group 1, no recurrence; group 2, local recurrence, lymph node or distant metastasis. The present study suggests that estimation of MNV on routine histological sections may objectively improve the detection of more aggressive MCTs.2020-01-01T00:00:00ZAssessing pubertal age through testicular and epididymal histology in Bísaro pig
http://hdl.handle.net/10174/28098
Title: Assessing pubertal age through testicular and epididymal histology in Bísaro pig
Authors: Paixão, Gustavo; Esteves, Alexandra; Carolino, Nuno; Pires, Maria dos Anjos; Payan-Carreira, Rita
Abstract: Bísaro pig (BP) had grown in numbers in the last decade, representing one of the most important native Portuguese breed. This study aims to estimate the age of puberty in male BP through testicular and epididymal morphometry. Fifty-six pairs of testis and epididymis were collected from male BP ranging in age from 1 to 8 month-old. Samples were collected post-mortem (n=26) or from surgical castration (n=30), from May 2017 to April 2018, sourced from six different farms. After collection, testis and epididymis were trimmed, weighed and measured. Tissue samples were processed for paraffin embedding and routine haematoxylin–eosin staining. Studied parameters included spermatogenesis scoring (SS), the diameter of seminiferous tubule (DST), the density of Sertoli (DS) and Leydig (DL) cells, the diameter of Leydig cells (DLC) and nucleus (DLN), and the ratio between tubular/interstitial areas (RTI). Correlations between testicular and epididymal length, width, depth, weight and volume, were highly positive (r: 0.866-0.997; P<0.001; n=56). Positive correlation was also found between DLC and DLN (r: 0.732; P<0.001; n=52). Differently, DST increased proportionally to the animal’s age (R2: 0.69; P<0.001; n=52) varying from 52.91 μm to 241.95 μm. RTI acted similarly increasing in older animals (R2: 0.76; P<0.001; n=52). It varied from 25.36 to 77.56%. On average, tubules have 17.52(4.27) sertoli cells with a density varying from 2.32 to 86.45 cells/μm. While DS decreases (R2: 0.72; P<0.001; n=52), DL increases (R2: 0.32; P<0.001; n=52) as the animals gets older. A GLM model was used to predict average testis dimensions and animal’s age at pre-defined stages; when SPZ is found in the epididymis, testis are 6.88 cm length and 4.49 cm width, at 118.21 days. At this age, the most likely median SS is 6 and the mean predicted SS is 5.29. When SPZ is found in the vas deferens testis are 7.46 and 4.82 cm, at 145.74 days. The most likely median SS is also 6 and the mean predicted SS is 6.07.2019-07-31T23:00:00ZWhole-genome resequencing reveals signatures of selection in European pig breeds and wild boars
http://hdl.handle.net/10174/27414
Title: Whole-genome resequencing reveals signatures of selection in European pig breeds and wild boars
Authors: Bovo, S; Schiavo, G; Ribani, A; Di Palma, F; Utzeri, VJ; Moscatelli, G; Geraci, C; Gallo, M; Muñoz, M; Fernandez, AI; Usai, G; Riquet, J; Charneca, R; Djurkin-Kušec, I; Radović, Č; Savić, R; Araújo, JP; Quintanilla, R; Razmaite, V; Mercat, MJ; Zimmer, C; Karolyi, D; Candek-Potokar, M; García, F; Núñez, Y; Ovilo, C; Fontanesi, L; TREASURE Consortium, TREASURE Consortium
Abstract: Natural and artificial directional selection in cosmopolitan and autochthonous livestock and wild relative populations have shaped
their genomes defining the level of variability and determining selective
sweeps as final adaptation to different environmental conditions and production systems. In this study we analyzed the genetic variability and selection signatures in 19 European local pig breeds sampled from
7 countries (Croatia, France, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia and Spain) (Alentejana, Apulo-Calabrese, Basque, Bísara, Majorcan Black, Black Slavonian, Casertana, Cinta Senese, Gascon, Krskopolje, Lithuanian indigenous wattle, Lithuanian White Old Type, Mora Romagnola, Moravka, Nero Siciliano, Sarda, Schwäbisch-Hällisches
Schwein, Swallow-Bellied Mangalitsa and Turopolje), 3 cosmopolitan Italian breeds (Large White, Landrace and Duroc) and Italian
wild boars. For each population, we prepared DNA pools using equimolar DNA from 30 to 35 animals. Whole-genome 150-bp paired-end
sequencing was carried out on an Illumina HiSeq machine. More than 18.4 billion of reads were obtained and mapped on the Sscrofa11.1 genome version with BWA, obtaining a mean depth of sequencing of
42X, respectively. CRISP, coupled to an ad hoc bioinformatic pipeline, was used to detect more than 30 million of high-quality variants (18% not included in dbSNP yet). Variant annotation, carried out with VEP,
highlighted that the 0.34% of the autosomal SNPs impacted genes at the protein level. Selection signature analyses (Fst and the Pooled Heterozygosity) highlighted more than 400 sweep regions distributed along the 18 porcine autosomes and scaffolds. Some of these genome regions harboured major genes affecting body shape/size (e.g., NR6A1, PLAG1, LCORL and CASP10), coat color (e.g., KIT, MC1R) and growth/fatness (e.g., MC4R), providing a first global variability analysis of European Sus scrofa populations.2019-01-01T00:00:00Z